Armoured cars go on show at Securex 2024

Securex SA 2024 kicked off on Tuesday morning. The security and fire exhibition is being held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg. The show runs until June 13 and opens daily between 9am and 5pm.

Entry is free to the public once you have registered. The show offers a platform for visitors looking for security solutions to view what’s on offer from the country’s best suppliers. 

Pretoria-based SVI Engineering, a leading vehicle armouring company, is showcasing several bakkies and the new Max 3 bespoke riot vehicles based on the new Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series.

Visitors to Securex will also get to view SVI Engineering’s new Golf 8 GTI response vehicle with bullet-resistance against AK-47 rifles. The discreetly armoured hatchback offers protection against handguns and rifles up to 7.62x39 mm, including the pervasive AK-47.

“Hot hatches are well suited to rapid-response duties but are generally available with level B4 armour, leaving occupants vulnerable to higher ballistic threats. The SVI AK-47 Golf 8 GTI is our solution to that problem and may just be the fastest way to reach the scene of an in-progress crime, without compromising on ballistic protection,” says Nicol Louw, SVI Business development director.

The bullet-resistant package for the VW hot hatch comprises discreetly integrated, custom-fabricated B4+ body armour as well as special ballistic glass. The kit that can be applied to the front-wheel-drive Golf 8 GTI as well as the all-wheel-drive Golf 8 R has 3.5mm armoured steel plating and revolutionary lightweight ballistic glass that's rated to stop four shots from an AK-47 in a 300mm square.

While all other panes are fixed in place, the driver’s window can be lowered about halfway. The kit furthermore incorporates a rear bulkhead solution — supplemented by a camera that continuously feeds video directly to the rear-view mirror.

Critical power-train components are protected by armour installed in the front fenders, while the battery also receives bullet-resistant protection. The suspension springs are uprated, and in total the armouring package adds about 340kg to the vehicle. 

SVI’s AK-47 armouring package for the Volkswagen Golf 8 is priced at R649,500 excluding VAT and the cost of the base vehicle. The project build time is in about three months.

Secure mobility suppliers at Securex 2024 include Armoured Mobility, a company that fortifies vehicles. The company says visitors can learn about the various armouring packages on offer and how they differ in terms of protection and functionality, and it will take this opportunity to present its products, designed to meet the evolving security needs of its clients while ensuring safety, style and comfort.

The company with offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town offers discreet or non-discreet B4- and B6-level protection to a wide selection of cars, including bakkies such as the Ford Ranger Raptor and SUVs including the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro. The company says a website allows customers to build their own armour vehicles according to their chosen requirements, and receive a concierge aftersales service on their armoured vehicles.

Armoured Mobility will also feature recorded shooting demonstrations highlighting the capabilities of its vehicles.